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Hilton campaigns to bring clicks direct

Column: industry Tag: Hilton Published: 2016-03-01 14:14 Source: Author:

Hilton Worldwide is the latest to push back at online intermediaries with its campaign to get loyal guests to book direct.

The company says its ‘Stop Click Around’ campaign is its biggest launched in the companies 97 years so it looks like it means business, literally.

The promotion promises discounts for direct bookings via the Hilton website, call-centres, mobile application or travel agents.

It also points to other benefits for its loyalty scheme members such as points, free wifi and use of the brand’s Digital Key.

And finally, direct booking makes for a more personalised experience for members of the scheme, according to the hotel giant.

In a statement Hilton Worldwide chief marketing officer Geraldine Calpin says:

“Our customers don’t need to worry about sorting through a dizzying array of websites, enduring hundreds of clicks and wasting hours of time. They can be assured that booking a room directly with us at any of our hotels doesn’t require extensive searching and price checking to find the best prices online.”

The statement adds that last year 1.6 million free nights went unearned because of bookings made through third party sites instead.

Some may recall a similar campaign to push online direct sales from Marriott six months ago which angered the agency community.

Hilton may be hoping to sidestep any potential issues by accepting bookings from ‘approved travel agents’ and ‘preferred corporate travel partners.’

Source: China travel news

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